Ash Wednesday activity organised by the Chaplaincy team and supported by the educators of the Secondary Campus. Students participated in a number Prayer Spaces where students were invited to reflect on aspects of their personal life and other issues in different ways through writing, reflection, and drawing. Students also participated in penitential service, where they also had the opportunity to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation. On a rotation basis, students reflected on trust and teamwork through Sports Ministry, while they also watched a film with a positive message about emotions and inclusion. Thanks to the Richmond Foundation, students also had the opportunity to reflect on Mental Health issues.

During break, they also partook in food similar to the typical food in Mozambique which included falafel and rice. This was done by our Learning Support team to raise funds for the Amigos Missionary work in Mozambique. Lent is a time to renew ourselves mentally, physically and spiritually, while working on ourselves and looking at ways to help others.

On Wednesday 19 February 2020, at St. Augustine’s College, a meeting was held for all friars of the Province. This was one of a series of meetings that are being held in preparation for the 2020 Provincial Assembly during which the friars will carry out an evaluation of their life and work during the past two years and will reflect also on the future. Invited to this meeting was Fr. Robert Marsh, Provincial Superior of the Augustinian Province for England and Scotland.

After evening prayers, Fr. Marsh spoke about the English Province and how the problem of a reduction in numbers of that Province had been confronted. He explained how the Augustinians of his Province reflected and discussed this reality for many years and were constrained to make courageous choices. After the conference, various questions were put to Fr. Marsh by the friars.

Lay teachers, administrators and Augustinian Friars who serve in Augustinian schools and centers of education in Europe were invited by the Administrators and Faculty of Austin Friars Hall in Carlisle, England to come to the school for a weekend of meeting (February 28 – March 1st), sharing and planning on how the schools and its faculty and students may be able to network.

Mr. Duncan Caruana, Mr Glenn Mifsud and Fr. Terence Spiteri osa, from our College took part in this encounter. The discussions were lively and creative and the participants from the six schools who sent representatives to Carlisle came away with programs and plans for more encounters and cooperative projects. Congratulations to all who participated in the encounter and all the best as they continue to execute the plans developed during the meetings.

As a youth group we felt the need for an activity that would connect us not only between ourselves but also to the society outside of the group. We decided to visit Casa Leone XIII and spend the morning with the residents of this house. The experience was far better than I anticipated, and fulfilling to say the least. We started the day by participating in the morning mass with the elderly residents of the house and together we animated mass. Mass was the best way possible to start the day. After mass, we accompanied some of the elderly in the activities hall. We organized some games of Bingo and helped out the residents who had difficulty marking their cards. The people who participated, elderly and youths alike, loved the time spent together. We said mass together, we laughed together and teased each other, we played together and we had tea together. This intergenerational experience was one to treasure! The residents of the house showed their desire for us to visit them again, and the youths that attended this event all showed their own desire to return too. There is a lot we can learn from each other and spending time together truly benefits both sides!

Martina Scicluna